15 Mar 2016

Academy midfielder Allan Rodrigues De Souza is currently on loan at Belgian club Sint Truiden, but he'll return to Anfield at the end of the season, and according to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, the Brazilian youngster will definitely play for Liverpool in the future.

Reacting to Allan's call-up to Brazil U20 training camp in Rio, Klopp insisted the Sint Truiden move was a 'good transfer for both sides', and made it clear that the 19-year old features heavily in his future plans:

"He [Allan] is an outstanding talent [and] will be a fixed part of the squad in the future, for sure. He's a good player with a good attitude, everybody loves him.”

Some info about Allan:

* Attacking midfielder, who can play centrally, or as a number 10. Unable to play in England right now due to work visa issues (consecutive loan deals).

* Sep 2015: Spent two months on loan at Finnish side Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK), and helped the club win the league title with 2 goals/4 assists in 8 games.

* On his experience of European football so far: "European football is not like Brazilian football – the game pace and dynamic on the ball are very different".

* On his objectives at Liverpool: "I will take it step by step, with humility and hard work. I want to bring joy to Liverpool supporters".

* SJK coach Simo Valakari's assessment: "He [Allan] has unbelievable potential. He helped us win the championship [and] will succeed at the top level.”

* 2016: Six appearances for Sint Truiden so far (five defeats in six games)

Without the visa issue, Allan may have been in line for his debut this season, especially give the club's ongoing injury crisis. That said, at Sint Truiden, Allan has the opportunity to play against the likes of Anderlecht, Brugge, and Standard Liege, and that can only be positive for his overall development.

Long-term, however, the odds on Allan becoming a first-team regular are incredibly slim. Historically, no foreign-born attacker has ever come through the academy to become a first-team regular, and when you consider the struggles faced by the likes of Suso, Pacheco, Teixeira (and dozens of others), it's clear that Allan has a huge job on his hands.

Having the confidence of the manager is half the battle, though, so perhaps Allan may buck the trend...?